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Health Department Initiatives in Public Education, Surveillance and Response to WNV

Increasing public awareness of the need for mosquito control, ongoing surveillance of vulnerable populations and coordination of response to outbreaks offers the best chance of controlling this disease

The Environmental Health Division takes a lead role in county efforts to combat outbreaks of West Nile virus (WNV) by raising public awareness about the disease through education, helping to ensure surveillance of potentially infected humans, mammals and birds and controlling the spread of the disease. West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause mild illness (West Nile fever) or severe symptoms (encephalitis or meningitis) in humans and other animals bitten by infected mosquitoes. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on birds that carry the virus in their blood. Currently, no vaccine against WNV is available so that mosquito abatement is one of the main tools that can be used to reduce the incidence of the disease. People over the age of 50 are more likely to develop serious symptoms of WNV if they do get sick and should take special care to avoid mosquito bites. WNV is now considered to be an endemic pathogen in many parts of the world including the United States.

West Nile Virus Awareness Among the General Public and Health and Veterinarians

Since outbreaks of West Nile virus occur each summer in the United States, increased public awareness could become one of the keys to mitigating the effects of a disease that is always spread in much the same way and generally presents the same set of symptoms.

Informing the Public and Testing in Response to an Outbreak

In the event of a dead bird actually testing positive for WNV or the identification of suspected or confirmed human cases, the department will immediately notify the public of the situation and provide advice on how they may best protect themselves.

Increased Monitoring Efforts in Conjunction with Local Government and Health Care Providers

Local government units, health and veterinary care providers and a variety of other agencies play a critical role in protecting public health from mosquito-borne diseases by forming part of the dense environmental surveillance network that acts to first identify possible outbreaks of WNV.

West Nile Virus is the Virus that can cause the Disease West Nile Encepha­litis

How is it transmitted?

West Nile Virus is transmitted through the bite of mosquitoes that are infected with the virus. Mosquitoes get the virus by feeding on dead birds that are infected. The incubation period for humans (time of infection to onset of the disease) is usually three to five days.